A free plan is offered by Netflix in Vietnam on an Android phone. Photo by VnExpress/Luu Quy
Streaming platform Netflix announced on Monday that it will end its free service in Vietnam next month, after two years.
“Your subscription will be automatically canceled at the end of the free service plan,” Netflix announced.
Netflix first offered the free plan in Vietnam in November 2021.
The free plan allows anyone with an Android phone in Vietnam to enjoy Netflix for free, without any ads. The plan can only be used on one phone.
Vietnam is the second market after Kenya to benefit from this plan.
Those who want to continue using Netflix will need to sign up for a paid plan that costs at least VND70,000 ($2.90) in Vietnam.
This shift is happening as Netflix looks for ways to increase its revenue and subscriber numbers.
In July, Netflix began asking Vietnamese users to check if they live in the same house as the account owner, as it widened its crackdown on users sharing passwords with people other than their immediate family .
The service said the TV would recognize if the user was connected to the same internet network as the registered account, and users could verify this through a code sent via email.
In a financial report released in mid-July, Netflix said its crackdown on password sharing was working. In its second-quarter earnings report, the streamer said it added 5.9 million additional subscribers worldwide, with the United States and Canada accounting for 1.17 million new members between April and June.